10 Years
by vampirediva07
Summary: Eleanor reflects on the last 10 years of her life. Set 10 years after the death of King Simon.


**A/N: I own nothing from _The Royals_. Enjoy and review!**

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Ten years.

Seemed like an awful long time, but for Eleanor, they had gone by in the blink of an eye it seemed. But a lot had happened in those ten years as she reflected back on them one lazy afternoon in her bedroom. A lot of terrible things had happened and a lot of very good things as well, especially in the later years to the present.

Her father's death had impacted everyone, causing a ripple effect that shattered the structure of her life and that of almost everyone around her. She and Liam had been declared illegitimate before King Simon's death, leading Cyrus to be crowned King of England. But Liam never gave up on finding out the truth about their father's death and the circumstances surrounding Robert's death once she told him what she knew. It consumed him for months after while he searched. Eleanor herself was consumed in grief for months, choosing instead to drown her sorrows in alcohol and drugs. And Beck.

He had come back into her life at the most vulnerable time and like a little schoolgirl, she had run to him and threw herself at him, thinking he cared for her. That had been her first mistake. Her second was believing that he would ever leave his wife for her, which he ultimately didn't when he was done with her. After his betrayal, Eleanor fell further into drugs and alcohol until she reached her breaking point and committed herself to treatment a year and four months after her father's death. Liam, Ophelia, and Jasper had been there the day she signed herself in and came to visit weekly with her while she was in treatment. Jasper's loyalty was shocking to her given her liaisons with Beck, but he never wavered from her.

After treatment, life changed. Eleanor didn't go to parties like before, but instead focused on going back to school to finish a real degree, finding her father's killer, and undermining Cyrus at every single turn. Three years after her father's death, the doctor came forward with the truth that she and Liam were Simon's biological children and that Cyrus and their mother had lied to the press and to everyone. Cyrus was immediately removed from the throne and thrown in prison while their mother was also arrested and given a five year prison sentence for conspiracy. Liam was crowned King, which was one of the proudest days of Eleanor's life as she looked on while her twin brother, who had become a man of honor, was crowned her sovereign. And on the same day, he proposed to Ophelia and she accepted.

Another year passed before Ophelia and Liam were married, but that year was not without many complications. Unable to deal with his guilt any longer and seeing that Liam was a good man who loved his daughter honestly and truly, Ted Pryce willingly came forward and confessed to the murder of King Simon. Everyone was shocked to say the least, including Ophelia, who spent many nights in Eleanor's room crying over her father's choices and the cost of those choices. With his signed confession and after many conversations with legal counsel, she and Liam decided that his sentence wouldn't be death. That would have been their gut reaction a little under four years previously, but time had changed her and her brother. They understood his pain and the grief he shared over losing his wife, though neither of them could speak to Ted after they spared his life and sentenced him to life in prison.

After all the sadness and grief, Ophelia and Liam's wedding was a nice change of pace about four and a half years after the death of King Simon. Thousands turned out to see their King marry his future Queen and Eleanor was more than happy for her brother and her best friend. And on the night of the reception for her brother's wedding, she and Jasper's relationship changed and turned for the better as she told him she loved him. The bickering, blackmailing, and constant on-upping one another had turned into compassion, trust, and loyalty unlike any other relationship she'd ever had. He was there for her when her father died and comforted her when Beck threw her on her arse. And he had seen her through rehab and beyond, which made her realize what she should have known all along...he loved her. And from there, they started a new journey.

Once she and Jasper went public with their relationship, there was some stir up, but everything settled down and they were able to live their lives normally. They vacationed in Venice with Ophelia and Liam every so often and went to Monaco on their own for weekends alone, spending most of their time between the pool, the bedroom, and the beaches. Jasper told her stories from his childhood, revealing the harsh truth he never told her before about his abusive parents, his time in Vegas, and when he decided to turn things around. She was astounded by the things she didn't know about him, but felt privileged to know those things now. And she shared stories about Robert and Liam from when they were all growing up together.

About six years after her father's death, on his birthday of all days, Ophelia and Liam welcomed their first child. A beautiful boy named Simon James that everyone called S.J. from the moment he was born. Eleanor couldn't have been a prouder aunt as she held her nephew and told her brother that he looked just like their father. Liam was a phenomenal father and husband as he doted on Ophelia her entire pregnancy and took to fatherhood the moment his son was born, making Eleanor proud that one of them had done things right.

A year and a half passed as Eleanor began working on her own fashion line, which came at the encouragement of Jasper to do something she loved and make it count. She worked hard and another eight months passed before she debuted on the runway, which turned out to be a huge success that she claimed as all her own without any interference from her meddling mother, who was still serving her prison sentence. The night of the fashion show, when she was feeling on top of the world, Jasper proposed to her. Seven years previous, she would have run from a marriage proposal from anyone, but she knew she was ready…she wanted to be married to Jasper.

Their wedding day came a year later. Ophelia, despite being heavily pregnant with her second child, was Eleanor's Matron of Honor while Jasper asked Liam to be the Best Man. Their two year old nephew, S.J. was the ring bearer and about stole the show with his antics, causing everyone to laugh. Eleanor said her vows and married the man who had always protected her and loved her before setting off to their honeymoon.

Eleanor was pulled from her thoughts and reminiscing by a whimpering cry at the door. She looked up to see Jasper standing there with a small bundle in his arms.

"Hey…he just woke up," he said, coming over. "I didn't want to wake you up if you were sleeping, but I think he's hungry."

"Oh well we can't have that," she laughed, reaching for the baby. She undid her top and began to nurse him, watching as her son quieted and relaxed in her arms.

It had taken a long time for Eleanor to even think she would be a good mother. And even now, she had times when she doubted herself because of the insecurity her mother left her with. Robert Simon was a healthy boy, born three weeks prior with no complications and she had been thankful for that as she worried through her entire pregnancy that her history of drugs and alcohol would have some weighing on her child, though she'd been clean and sober for years. But he was perfect in every single way and she loved him. Her entire labor and delivery had been in this room as she was too stubborn to admit she was in labor until she was practically crowning and the doctor had to be summoned to deliver their son in her and Jasper's bedroom. She'd held her breath until she heard his first cry and began to cry herself as she knew her whole world was different.

"I was just thinking about how much things have changed in ten years," she mentioned, looking up from her son to her husband. "How much I've changed."

"We all have changed a lot, Princess," Jasper replied, making her smile.

"Well some things never change, Bodyguard" she said.


End file.
